AI Underground: EnviTrace on the Geothermal Unleashed Podcast (Episode 46)
We’re excited to share that EnviTrace was recently featured on the Geothermal Unleashed Podcast in Episode 46, titled “AI Underground: How EnviTrace is Transforming Subsurface Intelligence.”
In this episode, EnviTrace co‑founder, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Science Officer Velimir “Monty” Vesselinov joined host Elizabeth Cambre for an in‑depth conversation on how artificial intelligence and advanced computational tools are reshaping geothermal exploration and subsurface decision‑making.
From Geology to AI Innovation
Monty’s path to co-founding EnviTrace reflects a blend of deep geoscience expertise and a drive to innovate beyond traditional boundaries. Raised in a family of geologists in Bulgaria, he went on to earn his PhD in Arizona and spent more than two decades as a research scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. That experience laid the foundation for EnviTrace: a company built to rapidly translate cutting-edge research into deployable, real-world solutions.
At EnviTrace, we develop AI-driven, physics-informed workflows that can extract actionable, defensible insight from complex geoscience datasets. Our work integrates diverse sources - from public and federal data, to proprietary geophysical surveys - to help organizations better understand what’s happening beneath the surface.
Transforming Geothermal and Subsurface Intelligence
During the podcast interview, Monty discussed how EnviTrace applies machine learning and advanced modeling to some of the most challenging problems in subsurface science, including:
Geothermal resource identification and characterization in data-sparse and geologically complex regions
Induced seismicity analysis at leading sites such as Utah FORGE and The Geysers
Integrated geothermal–lithium prospecting in areas like the Salton Sea and the Great Basin
Carbon sequestration assessment, supporting safer and more effective deployment of subsurface storage projects
A recurring theme was the importance of high-quality data and physics-informed AI. Rather than treating machine learning as a black box, EnviTrace embeds physical understanding into its models, making them more interpretable, robust, and trustworthy for high-stakes decisions.
The episode also explored a growing industry challenge: the need for professionals who can bridge geoscience and data science. As subsurface problems become more complex and data-rich, success increasingly depends on teams that understand both the physics of the Earth and the capabilities and limitations of modern AI.
Listen to the Episode
If you’re interested in how AI is transforming geothermal energy and subsurface intelligence, we invite you to listen to the full episode of Geothermal Unleashed:
We’re grateful to Elizabeth Cambre and the Geothermal Unleashed team for the opportunity to share EnviTrace’s work and vision. As the energy transition accelerates, we remain committed to delivering AI-driven, physics-informed subsurface intelligence that helps our partners make smarter, more confident decisions underground.